Fish Chowder

Bacon brings a welcome smokiness to this dish. Serve with oyster crackers.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup chowder and about 1 teaspoon bacon)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2  cups  water
• 4  bay leaves
• 1 1/2  pounds  halibut fillets or other firm white fish, skinned
• 3  slices bacon, uncooked
• 3 1/2  cups  cubed peeled baking potato
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 1/2  cup  coarsely chopped carrot (about 1 medium)
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried thyme
• 1  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 3/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 4  cups  2% reduced-fat milk
• 1  tablespoon  butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

Bring 4 1/2 cups water and bay leaves to a simmer in a large skillet. Add fish; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from pan with a slotted spoon. Cut fish into large pieces. Reserve 2 1/2 cups cooking liquid and bay leaves.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add potato, onion, and carrot to pan; cook over medium heat 10 minutes. Add reserved cooking liquid, bay leaves, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Add milk and butter; simmer 25 minutes until potatoes are tender (do not boil). Stir in fish, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with bacon.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

242 (32% from fat)

Fat:

8.6g (sat 3.5g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

21.8g

Carbohydrate:

18.4g

Fiber:

1.5g

Cholesterol:

42mg

Iron:

1.1mg

Sodium:

531mg

Calcium:

166mg